My name is Darren Patterson. I am 14 years old, and have been studying piano since 2012. Earlier this winter, I applied to the 2017 Brevard Music Center (BMC) Summer Institute for Piano Performance, and this month I have been honored to be accepted.  Each summer, the Brevard Music Center accepts a limited number of piano students, ages 14-29, from all over the world to a rigorous program that entails study with distinguished teachers, classes in music theory and literature, opportunities to perform solo and chamber music, and nearly 80 concerts by world-renowned performing artists.

However, I am in need of financial assistance to attend the BMC Summer Institute. I have been given a partial scholarship by the BMC, but I still need to raise the balance in order to attend. The amount includes tuition, fees, and room and board for the 7 weeks of the festival.

Attending BMC would allow me to meet and learn both from internationally-renowned artists, and also the talented young music students with whom I'd be living and working. This would be a great opportunity to make new friends and develop my musical gifts in a nurturing and competitive environment. I dream of one day being accepted into a music conservatory for college, and attending this prestigious summer institute would help to prepare me for the difficult road ahead.

Please visit the following YouTube link to hear and see me play Szymanowski's Mazurka in B-flat major, Op.50 No.6 and Bach's Prelude & Fugue in e minor, from The Well-Tempered Clavier, Bk I:

https://youtu.be/XdJ6CvvEEc4

To learn more about the Brevard Music Center please visit their website:
https://www.brevardmusic.org/institute/


Thank you for your consideration and for your donation! Any amount is greatly appreciated and will put me one step closer to my goal.